


One, Two Shadows

by Rosa_Cotton



Category: The Jungle Book (1967), The Jungle Book (2016), The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Drama, Family, Family Bonding, First Meetings, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Surprises, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 16:52:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11832960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosa_Cotton/pseuds/Rosa_Cotton
Summary: Bagheera meets Mowgli.





	One, Two Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: _The Jungle Book_ , all characters, places, and related terms belong to Rudyard Kipling and Walt Disney Pictures.

You are a shadow, walking in time to the heartbeat of the jungle.

The other animals in the jungle view you with suspicion, fear, or hate – keep a careful distance. Only the elephants, older and wiser than you pass by with indifference. 'Tis how it has been, season after season and moon after moon.

So you feel at a loss, the world tumbling off balance after you emerge from the dark brush, and instead of fleeing the tiny creature toddles straight towards you. You smell no hint of danger, challenge, misgiving, or anxiety from this strange creature (black, brown, and red, both hairy and not, with no tail). Clear bright eyes stare up into your yellow ones; you cannot comprehend its look.

You remain still as stone when the creature rises an odd paw up and curiously brushes your nose, whiskers, even boldly prods your mouth and teeth…

_Man-cub_. The name of this helpless creature suddenly comes to you, a memory old and vague faintly stirring.

You watch the man-cub withdraw his paw – no, _hand_ – and step away from you. Now the terror shall come…he will run. He looks back at you and a wide smile lights his face. The joy in it, directed at _you_ , is staggering. You do not expect the unfamiliar wave of warmth that washes over you or the overwhelming protectiveness that surges in you.

You are a shadow, walking in time to the heartbeat of the jungle, the rhythm of your heart matching Mowgli's.

THE END


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